Chapter 49: Karma's punishment
997words
Scarlett's words left me numb. I sat frozen in the chair for over an hour, trying to process everything. She had eventually fallen asleep after crying herself out. I stood up, hands trembling, struggling to wrap my mind around it. Razi was my daughter, and I couldn't even protect her. I never gave her the chance to know me, nor myself to know her. Now, I could explain the eyes, the aura that had drawn me to her. She was my daughter all along, and I hadn't known. And my mother? She had known all this time. She knew Scarlett was pregnant, yet she forced me to marry Everleigh.
I stumbled out of the room, lost in thought. No wonder Scarlett couldn't forget the past—she had a constant reminder of me right in front of her, whom she loved dearly. But every time she looked at our child, she was reminded of how I had abandoned them.
'Son, are you alright?" Scarlett's mother asked. She sat in the living room, cradling the baby.
I couldn't say a word. My head pounded with memories of the fire. That was my daughter. I watched her die without even knowing it. I never gave her the chance to call me "Dad."
I got into my car, hands shaking on the wheel. My mother had some explaining to do. She needed to tell me what I had ever done to deserve this. I pressed down on the pedal and sped out of the house.
Storming into her home, I found her in the living room as usual.
'Mother!" I groaned, striding toward her.
'What's wrong, Son?" she asked, looking at me with concern.
'Don't you dare call me 'son'!" I yelled, making her gasp. 'What did I ever do to you? Tell me, Mrs. Reyes. What did I ever do to deserve this? Why did you ruin my life? Who is my real mother?"
'Calm down, Son. What are you talking about? I am your mother," she said.
'Alright, then explain to me exactly what I did to make you treat me this way. I need an answer now," I demanded. Just then, Everleigh rushed down the stairs.
'Hey, Nate. Why are you talking to Aunt like that?" she asked, approaching.
I shot her an angry glare, and she stepped back, startled. 'Stay out of this!" I snapped. 'Answer me, Mother!"
Tears welled up in her eyes. I hated seeing her cry, but I needed the truth. Why did she despise me so much that she would separate me from Scarlett and our child?
'I don't know what you are talking about, Son. You did nothing wrong. You are my child, and even if you did, I would forgive you immediately," she sobbed.
I spun around, pinching the bridge of my nose before turning back to face her. 'Then why did you force me to marry Everleigh when Scarlett was pregnant?" I demanded.
'What?" Everleigh gasped beside me. 'What is Nathan talking about, Aunt?" she asked my mother.
'I'm sorry, Son. I just wanted the best for you. I'm truly sorry," she cried.
'Sorry? You are sorry?" I laughed bitterly. 'What good does sorry do? Scarlett hated me, and I thought it was just resentment over a breakup. I never knew she held that hate because she lived with a daily reminder of my betrayal—our daughter. Every time she looked at her, she remembered the pain I caused her. You are a mother; you should understand what that means!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the room.
'I'm sorry, Son. I don't know what came over me. But it's not too late. I will beg Scarlett. I'm sure she will forgive me and let you be with your child, please."
'You think it's that simple?" I asked. 'The child is gone. I watched my child die without even knowing she was mine because of your selfish choices. What were you protecting in that cursed company? You ruined my life for a building, Mother! My child is dead, and the building is nothing but in ashes."
'Ashes? What do you mean?" she whispered, her hands clasped tightly.
'The company exploded a few weeks ago. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. But now you should know—a building is never worth a life," I said, and I headed upstairs.
'I can't believe this, Aunt," I heard Everleigh's voice say behind me.
Everleigh came into the room after me. I sat on the couch, face buried in my hands. She sat beside me.
'I'm sorry," she whispered. 'This is my fault too. If I hadn't fallen for you, maybe none of this would have happened. I'm the architect of your misery, Nate. Let me bear the pain instead. I will do anything to help you get back with Scarlett, even if it's the last thing I do," she sobbed. 'I'm so, so sorry."
Everyone thinks 'sorry" will fix things, like the word is some magic spell that erases memories. I vividly remember the countless times Scarlett tried to talk to me, wanting to discuss something I never cared to hear because of my own pain. I wanted her to hate me, to hurt me as much as I had hurt her. I never knew I was only making things worse.
'Aargh!" we heard someone scream, and I snapped my head up. 'Mr. Nathan!" our cook's voice echoed, and we both jumped up. Reaching the stairs, we halted abruptly. Everleigh screamed, covering her mouth and beginning to shake. I stared, horrified, at my mother's lifeless body on the floor, her hand clutching her chest. Maybe this is what karma's punishment looks like. And it wasn't her it was punishing; it was me.
'Let's get her to the hospital, please," the cook cried, holding my mother's head in her lap. She was gone, and I knew it. The hospital wouldn't be able to save her, or wash away my pain.
